


Better To Not Need It

by Jenksjinx



Series: We Sail Together [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Badassary, Canon Compliant, Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 22:36:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17671391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenksjinx/pseuds/Jenksjinx
Summary: Daenerys contemplates her pregnancy and has a conversation with Jon’s youngest sister.





	Better To Not Need It

_Forwards_. _Left_. _Right_. _If I can’t see it, how do I know it’s there_ , she thought as she turned from side to side in her feather light shift before the mirror in her suite. She deigned to place her hand over her womb hoping to find a trace of the life inside her. Her fingers teased her stomach up and down, back and forth but she only found the flat expanse of silken fabric, only herself.  
  
But she was sure, somewhere in her mind she knew. The sudden waves of dizziness and nausea, the tenderness of her breasts, a weight in the pit of her stomach. She knew the signs. Same as before. She allowed herself a moment to let her mind drift to her lost boy.  
  
Her memories grew dark with thoughts of the house of the undying, the only place her child lived now. He hadn’t been born before he was taken from her, but she had seen him. She knew his dark curls and deep dimples. She recalled his weight in her arms and his grip around her finger.  
  
The picture of her child faded as a light rapt sounded at the door, and he was lost to her again.  
  
She took a quick glance out of the window and saw that shadows lined the crevices of Winterfell as it grew darker outside. The further north they seemed to venture the earlier the sun had begun to set and only one person would dare approach her chambers after nightfall.  
  
“You’re late,” the words were meant as an innocent reprimand, a joke between her and her lover, as they had grown to do. But as the old wooden door creaked open she immediately regretted the informality.  
  
“My apologies, your grace. I wasn’t aware that you had summoned me.”  
  
“No, Lady Arya, I was expecting someone else.” Her queenly visage quickly replaced the look of mortification she displayed if only for the briefest of moments.  
  
“My brother,” the young Stark stated matter of factly. She strode into the room boldly before Daenerys could process what was happening. Closing the door, her eyes followed the lithe girl as she examined the suite and ghosted her hands against the bedpost and the heavy fur duvet. “You know the last person to stay in these rooms was Cersei Lannister, at least since I was in Winterfell last.”  
  
“No, I was unaware.” Her body stiffened at the thought of sharing quarters with such a vainglorious woman.  
  
Daenerys settled into a chair in front of the fire and motioned for her companion to take a seat across from her. It occurred to her that the young woman hadn’t visited to simply discuss room arrangements.  
  
“Aye,” she began, taking the seat comfortably. Her dark gray eyes seemed haunted as they stared upon the flame and continued her story. “When Robert came north to make my father hand and give Sansa to Joffrey to join our two great houses. That was the last time my family was all together.” The girl’s voice didn’t betray her emotions though her face faltered a bit. A glint in her eye a would-be tear that never fell.  
  
“I am sorry for the loss of your family, Lady Arya. There is nothing more that I want than justice seen for the betrayals Westeros has faced because of Cersei.” The girl eyed her then, glancing at her from braids to boots. If the piercing gray eyes could see the secrets within her soul they probably would. She broke contact when she realized that her right hand had begun to float over her midsection. A simple movement but a telling one. She quickly smoothed the fabric of her dress and clasped her hands together upon her lap. The young girls eyes drifted back to the flames.  
  
“I heard tales of you in Braavos.”  
  
“You spent time in the free cities?” The question held more awe than she intended but she was thankful that the conversation hadn’t turned toward the one secret she meant to keep.  
  
“I did.”  
  
“I grew up there with my brother Viserys. But unfortunately we didn’t get along quite as well as you and your brother do.” She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Her weakness, her vulnerability on display.  
  
“Aye. We are close. Since we were young. Well at least Jon and I, but all of us now that we’ve found our way back to each other. People have tried to tear us apart, but we are wolves. We’re hard to kill and we stick together. Always.” Her words hung in the air as she seemed to reflect on the impossibility that her family was even back in Winterfell. The crackling fire echoed off the stone walls. “Is it true that you flew your dragons into battle against the masters in Slaver’s Bay?”  
  
A small smile found its way upon her face as she nodded humbly. “The Bay of Dragons now.”  
  
“Visenya rode Vhagar into battle against House Arryn during Aegon’s conquest. She burned their fleet during the battle in the waters off Gulltown.” The young woman looked a lot younger with the fire’s light glinting in her eyes.  
  
“You know Targaryen history well.”  
  
“They were my favorite stories as a child. Jon and I would sword fight in the training yard when we were younger. I would declare myself Queen Visenya and he would be Daeron, the young dragon. He would always let me win.”  
  
“I’m sure you’re glad to have him back home. He spoke of you often when we were on Dragonstone. Though he didn’t mention you had stopped in Braavos. What did you do there?” As if on cue, the innocence left her eyes. A blank stare sent in her direction left an eerie chill floating through her.  
  
“Are you familiar with the House of Black and White?” The girl finally asked.  
  
“I’ve heard tale of it.” Daenerys recalled the assassins that killed without question and always found their target. She always wondered if the usurper had financed them to kill her as a child. Perhaps not, since she was still alive.  
  
The girl turned back to the flame before she continued on. “That’s where I trained.”  
  
“You’re a faceless man then?”  
  
“Yes. You know what that means? What I’m capable of?”  
  
Dany simply stared at the girl, intrigued by her audacity. The injustices wrought upon her family had made her conviction for justice stronger.

  
“I’ve only ever done what was necessary, to right the wrongs. Just as Jon believed it was necessary for you to be here, to save us, even after the crimes of your family.” The young girl appraised her once more. “But my sister believes that you mean to rule us. That you’ve somehow gotten my brother to fall in love with you and that you’ve seduced him into giving you the North.”  


The girl stood then and got closer to the hearth running her fingers along the mantle. “But my sister hasn’t ever met slaves freed by Daenerys Stormborn. She’s never looked upon a girl released from a whore house, or a hungry family given bread and water from the stores of the queen’s great pyramid. And she’s never seen an orphanage that was once lice ridden and bookless, full of smiling children, learning and eating regular meals.”

 

Turning to her with conviction in her eyes, the girl continued on, “We can only know of lies and believe truths told to us when our own eyes, and our own hearts are open. And I pledge myself to your service, Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen, because I don’t have to believe in you, I’ve seen you.”

 

With that the girl knelt on one knee before her, withdrawing her sword, the blade as thin as she, and laid it between them. Dany stood from her chair slowly as her breath caught in her throat. This wasn’t what she’d expected from his family, let alone so soon.

  
“I accept your pledge, Lady Arya of House Stark. You may rise.”

 

The girl stood and dusted herself off roughly. “Now that that’s out of the way. What about my brother?” The girls words were so nonchalant after such a grand commitment made, Dany was thrown off.

 

“What about him?”  
  
“He’s the father of your child?” There was no sense in lying, though she wasn’t ready for others to know.

  
“He is,” she confirmed softly. “But he’s more than that. He’s the greatest man I’ve ever known. And he has given me something I never thought I could have again.” She wrung her fingers together nervously as she thought of the complexity of their situation. _The timing was all wrong. Would he even want a child? Would he think me a liar?_ All questions she wasn’t yet ready to face.

  
“Where will you be when the war comes to Winterfell,” Arya asked pulling her from her pit of despair.

  
“Where I always am in battle. With my men, atop Drogon, bringing fire and blood to the Night King.”  
  
“Jon will try to stop you.”

  
“He knows I will fight with my people.”  
  
“Even with child,” the girl asked  
skeptically.

 

She hadn’t had time to consider how he would feel about her fighting in the skies with their child within her belly. But what choice did they have? “Yes. There won’t be a world for my child to live in if every man and woman doesn’t fight. A Khaleesi that doesn’t ride is no Khaleesi.”  
  
“He doesn’t know then.”  
  
“No. I’ve only just found out myself. But I’ll not tell him yet and I ask that you do the same. Not until I speak with a maester and, if it can be helped, not until after the battle is won. He must stay focused and I must be allowed to do my duty. In this, you and I must stand united. I will fight and you will as well, it’s in your blood. No one can stop us.”

 

She seemed to understand her then as her face became resigned. “No, no one can. What weapon will you use?”  
  
“My dragons.”  
  
“And on the ground? Surely you have some skill with a bow? A sword?”  
  
Daenerys blushes at the thought, recalling the danger she’d been in when Ser Jaime had charged at her. _If Drogon hadn’t been there..._ “I’ve never been in hand to hand combat.”  
  
The girl quickly pulled a small dagger from her sword belt. “This. Valyrian steel. You will carry it. Should you find yourself on the field of battle, it’ll kill the wights my brother spoke about. It’ll help protect you and your child. It’s simple enough to use. Just stab them with it and they should shatter into pieces. At least that’s what Jon said.”  
  
She remembered seeing the dead bodies turning to dust as Jon twirled nimbly and cut them down with his Valyrian steel sword. “It’s true. I’ve seen them fall apart at his hand. Though he is a skilled fighter it won’t take much to kill them with the right weapon.” She took the dagger and ran her fingers over the blade and the grip admiring the inlaid jewels. _A fine dagger should be in the hands of someone more capable_ . “Are you sure? Don’t you want to keep it for yourself?”  
  
“I’d rather it protect my niece or nephew,” she said shyly, looking towards the door. “Anyways, this has served me well this far.”  
  
“Then it shall protect us,” she said giving a hearty smile and a quick nod to the young girl.

  
With a deep bow, Arya made her way to the door before turning back to her. “You should tell him, you know. Soon. Before we fight. He should know what he’s fighting for.”  
  
“Thank you, Lady Arya, for your council.” She would consider it, though the thought itself was terrifying.

  
“Just Arya. Like I said, wolves stick together. I’ll send Sam up. He should be able to give you the confirmation you’re looking for.”

 

A tear trickled from her eyes, and a smile fell upon her face as the girl left and she made her way back to the mirror. Running her hands over her womb once more, her blurry eyes stared at her reflection. Resolute in her decision and impatient for his arrival, she laid on the bed letting sleep pass the time. When she awoke, she would tell him and their lives would be forever changed.

**Author's Note:**

> So now we know where that dagger came from in With Eyes Like Yours. 
> 
> Ugh. I’ve been writing this forever and just couldn’t finish it. It came together quite nicely, I think. 
> 
> If you like it, please check out the rest of the series. :)


End file.
